The citizen’s right to know in a popular Government is logically perfect and politically ethical. It is a mandatory of the citizen to know about functions of the Government with certain exception made by Law. In this world, every country has different culture, customs, and traditions. They have their own norms and patterns of behavior. They born with certain basic rights like food, water, shelter etc. in democratic countries, they preserve and give a affirmation regarding the Right to Information.
India is the cynosure of the argument. Even so, to get a historical hang of the popular struggle for open, as against closed Government, we may undertake a imprecise global jurisprudential journey relating to Freedom of Information.1
In a democracy people are the real sovereign. They have right to appoint the Governments as well as dismiss them. The people’s Right to Information is the foundation of healthy functioning of democracy.2 Information is a resource which empowers the people to act more meaningfully as electors as well as elected representative of the people. If the people are well informed they will be more vigilant and therefore, democracy is bound to become more vibrant. In a real sense, Government of the people, by the people and for the people requires that people should know who governs them and how they are being governed. The participation of the people must be meaningful. It should deal with major issues affecting lives of people. Such participation can hardly be effective unless people have information about which way Government business transacted. The fundamental element in the foundation of democratic societies has been an informed and active citizenry. It can be said that there are five pillars of good governance which makes Government stronger and beneficial to everyone:
these are:
transparency in decision-making processes,
ensuring people’s participation,
responsibility in the exercise of power,
accountability of the decision-makers and
Responsiveness to people’s needs to uphold the edifice of sustainable democracy.
